Coin testing device



Aug. 25, 1964 R. w. SIMPSON com TESTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMay 18, 1961 INVI ZNT0R.

Bzchard W Simpson Aug. 25, 1964 R. w. SIMPSON com TESTING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1961 INVENTOR. Pzchard W. Sampson w UnitedStates Patent f) 3,145,821 COIN TESTING DEVICE Richard W. Simpson,Rockford, Ill., assignor, by mesue assignments, to Reed ElectromechCorporation, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 18,1961, Ser. No. 110,961 8 Claims. (Cl. 194-102) This invention relates toa coin testing device wherein separation is effected as between coins ofvarious denominations and as between legitimate and spurious coins ofthe various denominations.

Previous multiple coin testing devices have been complicated instructure and operation and, because of such complications, they haverequired precise adjustments of various of the elements for properoperation. Because of the high degree of sensitivity demanded of thevarious elements, for proper operation, maintenance for cleaning,adjustment and repair have required a high degree of skill and care withcorresponding increase in cost. Because of the portable nature of thevending or change-making machines with which the coin testing devicesare associated, previous testers have required careful and precisemounting for proper operation thereof. Present coin testing devices makeuse of combinations of various types of tests including a size test forclassification into various denominations, composition tests forseparation of coins of various denominations into legitimate andspurious coins, and physical tests such as feel, bounce or the like forfurther separation as between denominations and/ or legitimacy.

One of the tests for size separation into the various denominationscomprises the use of a counterweighted cradle positioned with a pair ofspaced arms extending into the path of the coins fed into the device fortesting, with the spacing between the arms being slightly lessthan thediameter of the coin adapted to be separated from the other coins suchthat coins of smaller diameter will pass through the cradle between thearms while coins of the desired dimension or larger will come to rest onthe arms of the cradle for separation. The arms of the cradle are offsetfrom the cradle pivot so that the center of gravity of the coins comingto rest on the arms will be offset from the pivot by an amountsufficient to overcome the counterbalance thereby automatically to rockthe cradle from normal to operated positions whereupon the separatedcoin is delivered laterally from the cradle to a downwardly inclinedrunway 'over which the coin travels for subsequent testing, as

through a magnetic field which has a calculated effect on the coindepending upon its composition, either to arrest the coin or to have acalculated effect on the trajectory of the coin as it leaves the runwayfor continued travel to the coin box or reject, as the case may be.

While the arms of the cradle are spread by an amount sufficient toprovide for the passage of undersized coins therebetween to by-pass therunway, it has been found .that coins of smaller dimension sometimesbounce or otherwise travel through the coin slot in a manner to engageone arm of the cradle with sufficient momentum to cause rocking movementof the cradle by an amount which enables the coin of smaller dimensionto be delivered laterally onto the runway over which coins of largerdimension or denomination are intended to travel. For example, a nickelor even a dime may have sufficient momentum upon engagement of the armof the cradle next to the runway to rock the runway whereby the nickelor dime is displaced onto the quarter runway for test.

It is an object of this invention to produce a coin ICC.

testing device of the type described embodying said improvements inconstruction and operation whereby a more effective separation isachieved for denomination or size thereby to improve theeffectiveness'and the efficiency of the device.

Another object is to produce a coin testing device of the type describedembodying a means for releasably latching the cradle to prevent rockingmovement by a coin of lesser dimension than the spaced relation betweenthe arms of the cradle but which releases the cradle for rockingmovement responsive to a coin of the desired dimension coming to rest onthe arm of the cradle thereby to block coins of smaller dimension fromrocking the cradle for delivery onto the pathway intended to be travelelonly by such coins of the desired dimension.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to produce a cointesting device of the type described having an improved cradleconstruction and operation whereby the cradle functions to separate outcoins for displacement only of coins of a selected and predeterminedsize or denomination thereby to make any subsequent tests more efiicientand effective in the separation of spurious from legitimate coins of theselected denomination.

A further object is to produce a device of the type described wherein acounterbalanced cradle is used for separation of coins as to size ordenomination but wherein means are employed in combination with thecradle to prevent cradle separation and delivery of oversized orundersized coins thereby more effectively to restrict the coinsdelivered by the cradle for subsequent acceptance or test whereby suchtests can be made more effective without undesirable modification inpreciseness, tolerance or control.

These and other objects of this invention will hereinafter appear andfor purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment ofthe invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 isan elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a coin testing deviceembodying the features of this invention, showing the cradle in relationto the pathway through which the coin is delivered by the cradle;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of the cradle construction ofFIG. 1 with the cradle unlocked by a coin coming to rest on the arms ofthe cradle;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing thecradle in operated position to deliver sepa rated coins onto the runway;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view similar to that of FIG. 2 illustrating thereaction of elements to coins of various denominations or size;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view similar to that of FIG. 4 showing thereaction of the elements to coins of proper dimension or size whencoming to rest on the arms of the cradle; and FIG. 6 is an elevationalview similar to that of FIG. 4 showing the reaction of elements to coinsof smaller dimension than the coins selected to be separated out by thecradle. I

Briefly described, the concepts of the invention reside in a cradleconstruction and arrangement embodying a latching means which iseffective to prevent rocking movement of the cradle by the passage ofcoins of smaller dimension but which becomes ineffective to permitrocking movement of the cradle when coins of the desired dimension cometo rest on the arms of the cradle.

Referring now to the drawings, illustration is made of but a portion ofthe coin testing device including a portion of the main frame 10 onwhich the cradle 12 is mounted for rocking movement about a pivot 14from a normal position, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, to an operatedposition, shown in FIG. 3, for delivery of the separated coin 16 onto alaterally extending, downwardly inclined runway 18 over which thedisplaced coin travels through a magnetic field (not shown) and then offof the runway along a trajectory by. which it either enters the coinslot 20 for acceptance or engages various anvils 22 or abutments 24 bywhich it is displaced from the normal path of travel for rejection. Thehandling or the processing of the separated coin subsequent to cradledelivery forms no part of the present invention and, therefore, detaileddescription thereof will not be given. It will be understood that otherelements are associated with the base plate and cradle in the claimedcoin testing device including, for example, a pivoted gate normallymounted in spaced relationship with the base plate to define a slottedportion therebetween through which the coins travel in test andscavenger means operative to rock the gate about its pivot to enabledisplacement of coins held up for one reason or another between the gateand plate, and an arm for sweeping the rejected or upheld coins from thetest elements to free the elements for subsequent tests when returned tonormal position. A fragmentary portion of the coin testing device shownis sufficient for illustration and description of the concepts of thisinvention. For a fuller description of the remainder of theconstruction, reference can be made to US. Patent No. 2,588,510.

The invention will hereinafter be described with reference to a cradleconstruction and arrangement designed to effect separation fordisplacement of coins of the dimension of a 25-cent piece. It will beunderstood, however, that the concepts described can be adapted for usein the separation for displacement of coins of other denominations, suchas half dollars, nickels, dimes, etc., upon proper adjustment of thedimensional characteristics of the elements in accordance with theconcepts which will hereinafter be described.

The frame 10 is provided at its upper edge with a coin chute 26 intowhich the coins of various denominations can be fed for travelgravitationally downwardly through a coin slot 28, which is definedbetween the frame 10 and the gate, to the cradle 12. The cradle 12 isprovided with a pair of arms 30 and 32 extending outwardly from thecradle into the path of travel of coils with the arms spaced one fromthe other by an amount slightly less than the diameter of the ZS-centpiece or such other coin as is adapted to be separated thereby so thatall coins of the diameter of the 25-cent piece or greater will come torest on the arms of the cradle.

The cradle is mounted for rocking movement about the pivot pin 14 whichis offset from a vertical center line between the arms in the directionaway from the runway 18 so that the center of gravity of a coin comingto rest on the arms of the cradle will be offset from the pivot in thedirection towards the runway to urge rocking movement of the cradleabout its pivot towards the opposite position. The cradle is providedwith a counterbalance 34 in the direction of offset to provide a forcevector which is effective constantly to urge return of the cradle tonormal position when freed of the coin but which is insufficient tocounterbalance the offset weight of a legitimate coin coming to rest onthe arms of the cradle whereby such coin is effective to overcome thecounterbalance and rock the cradle to operated position.

An important concept of this invention resides in a latching meansoperative normally to engage the cradle to prevent rocking movement butwhich is made ineffective for latching the cradle when a coin of thediameter of a 25-cent piece comes to rest on the arms of the cradle andwhich is effective automatically to re-engage the cradle for latchingupon return of the cradle to normal position. Thus the cradle is freedfor displacement by rocking movement when a coin of the predetermineddiameter comes to rest on the arms of the cradle.

For this purpose, as illustrated in FIG. 4, use is made of a bell cranklever 40 pivoted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin 42 fixed to theframe member for rocking movement between a raised or latching position,shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, and a lowered or unlatching position,shown in broken lines in FIG. 4 and in solid lines in FIG. 5. The bellcrank lever 40 is formed with a latch ing means at one end in the formof a lip 44 which extends upwardly from a recessed portion 46. When thebell crank lever is in raised position the arm 30 of the cradle isreceived within the recess 46 with the lip 44 lying adjacent the innersurface of the arm and in the path of the arm when the cradle is rockedabout its pivot. Thus the cradle is latched against rocking movementfrom normal to operated position when the bell crank lever is in itsnormal or raised position. The portion of the bell crank lever at theother side of its pivot is counterbalanced constantly to urge the bellcrank lever to rock about its pivot to normal or raised position. A stop48, rigid with the frame, is positioned to lie in the path of thecounterbalanced end portion 50 to block rocking movement of the bellcrank lever beyond normal position. A horizontally disposed ledge 45integral with and arranged alongside the inner edge of the arm 30 is inposition to be engaged for displacement by the periphery of coins comingto rest on the arms of the cradle.

The upwardly extending portion of the lip is formed with a cam edge 52at the upper end in the form of a downwardly and inwardly inclinedportion whereby engagement between the arm 30 and the lip 44 duringreturn movement of the cradle to normal position will operate to cam thelip and the bell crank lever 40 for rocking movement about the pivot todisplace the lip from the path of the arm thereby to enable return ofthe cradle arm to normal position.

Illustration will now be made with reference to the operation of thedevice in response to the insertion of coins of various denominations.Normally the elements will be in the arrangement shown by the solidlines in FIG. 4 with the lever 40 in raised position so that thelatching lip 44 will lie in the path of the arm 30 to block the cradleagainst rocking movement about its pivot.

The position of the latch is such that any coin of smaller diameter thanthe spaced relation between the arms of the cradle will be incapable ofcoming into engagement with the latch to release the cradle until thecoin has already committed itself for passage beyond the arms of thecradle. Thus upon the insertion of a coin of the dimension of a dime ora 5-cent piece into the coin chute, the coin will pass downwardlygravitationally through the coin slot. If it comes into engagement withthe arm 32 of the cradle or if it first engages the arm 30 of the cradlefrom which it is bounced to the arm 32, the cradle will remain latchedagainst rocking movement responsive to the inertia force of the coin.Thus the arm 32 will remain in position to block passage of the coinlaterally onto the quarter runway.

Thus the only area available for the passage of such coin of smallerdiameter is through the space between the arms of the cradle. While itmay be possible for the bouncing coin to engage the lip 44 or ledge 45during passage between the arms of the cradle to release the cradle forrocking movement, the location of the latching means beyond the upperedge of the arms permits such release to be effected until after thecoin of smaller diameter has passed beyond the point where it can engagethe arms to effect such rocking movement and is thus fully committed forcontinued passage downwardly between the arms and beyond the cradle, asillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6.

When a quarter is inserted into the chute for travel downwardly throughthe coin slot to the cradle, the coin will come to rest on the arms 30and 32 of the cradle. The peripheral surface of the quarter portionextending between the arms will engage the lip to effect an amount ofdisplacement from raised to lowered position to displace the lip fromthe path of the arm 30. Thus the weight of the quarter at rest on thearm becomes effective to rock the freed cradle from normal to operatedpositions, shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, to enable the quarter to roll off thelower arm 32 for lateral displacement through the device for subsequenttest or delivery. 7

During such rocking movement of the cradle, the counterbalanced lever 40will become effective to return the latching lip 44 to raised or latchedposition, even before return of the cradle arm 30 to normal position.Upon return of the cradle arm 30 to normal position, the arm will engagethe cam edge 52 of the lip which lies in the path thereof to cam the liptowards lowered position thereby to enable return of the cradle tonormal position. As soon as the arm 30 clears the lip 44, thecounterbalanced end 50 will become effective automatically to return thelatching lip to raised position to latch the cradle into position ofuse.

Usually other means are available to separate out coins having adimension larger than the dimension of coins intended to be displaced bythe cradle. While the latching means is intended chiefly to prevent thecradle from being rocked by coins of smaller dimension, the latchingmeans can be made effective also to prevent the cradle from beingunlatched for rocking movement by coins of a dimension larger than thecoins to be displaced. For this purpose the position of the lip or ledgeis so related to the curvature of the coin coming to rest in upstandingposition on the arms of the cradle that engagement by the periphery of acoin of the desired dimension causes displacement of the latch by anamount to remove the latching lip from the path of the arm while theamount of displacement effected by a coin of larger dimension isinsufficient to remove the lip from the path of the arm thereby toprevent the cradle from being rocked.

Thus, when a coin having a diameter larger than a quarter is insertedinto the coin chute, the coin will pass downwardly through the coin slotand will come to rest on the arms of the cradle, assuming that there areno other abutments or limitations to the movement of the coins of suchdiameter through the testing device. Since the curvature in theperiphery of such coin of larger dimension is less than that of thequarter, the amount that the lip is displaced by the periphery of suchcoin coming to rest on the arms of the cradle is insufficient todisplace the lip from the path of the cradle arm 30. As a result, thecradle remains latched against rocking movement from normal to operatedposition. Such coin of larger dimension is thus held up on the cradlearms until scavenged from the device.

It is desirable to so locate the release for the latching means at somepoint beyond the upper edge of the cradle arms to prevent release of thecradle for rocking movement until the coin has passed beyond theposition capable of engagement with the arms to rock the cradle. In thepreferred practice heretofore described the release lies alongside thearms and beyond the upper edge thereof.

While it is preferred to construct the latching means in the arrangementdescribed for operative engagement with the far arm 30 of the cradlefrom the underside, it will be apparent that similar concepts may beemployed for operative engagement between such latching means and theinner arm 32 of the cradle but with the lip approaching the arm from thetop side since the arm 32 moves downwardly away from the lip duringoperation from normal to operated positions. In such arrangement, it isdesirable to take into consideration the positioning of the elements outof the path of the side delivery of the selected coins from the cradlewhen the latter is rocked to operated position.

It will also be apparent that the concepts described can be adapted foruse in the displacement of coins having diameters other than that of aquarter or for the displacement of other discs, checks or the like,wherein the dimensional boundaries defined can be established.

While description has been made of the mounting of the cradle and thelatching means on the base plate, it will be understood that theelements including the cradle latching means and runway may, in thealternative, be provided on the gate portion of the device. It will befurther understood that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction, arrangement and operation without departing from thespirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a coin separating device of the type described, frame meansdefining an entrance passageway through which coins fall edgewise bygravitational force, a laterally extending and downwardly inclinedrunway over which coins of a predetermined denominational dimen sion areadapted to be displaced from the entrance passageway, cradle meanspivotally mounted on said frame means for rocking movement betweennormal and 0perated positions, said cradle means having a pair of armsextending into the entrance passageway and spaced one from the other byan amount slightly less than the diameter of coins adapted to bedisplaced from the entrance passageway to the runway, a latching leverpivotally mounted on the frame means for rocking movement betweenlatching and unlatching position with a portion of said lever, when inlatching position, lying in the path of one of said cradle arms when thecradle is in normal position to block the cradle against rockingmovement from normal to operated position, said latching lever having apart disposed between the arms of the cradle in position to be engagedby the peripheral edge portion between said arms of coins coming to reston said arms whereby coins of the curvature of the desired dimensionoperate to rock said latching lever to unlatching position and free thecradle for rocking movement to operated position.

2. In a coin separating device of the type described, frame meansdefining an entrance passageway through which coins fall edgewise bygravitational force, a laterally extending and downwardly inclinedrunway over which coins of a predetermined denominational dimension areadapted to be displaced from the entrance passageway, cradle meanspivotally mounted on said frame means for rocking movement betweennormal and operated positions, said cradle means having a pair of armsextending into the entrance passageway and spaced one from the other byan amount slightly less than the diameter of coins adapted to bedisplaced from the entrance passageway to the runway, a latching leverpivotally mounted on the frame means for rocking movement betweenlatching and unlatching position with a portion of said lever, when inlatching position, lying in the path of one of said cradle arms when thecradle is in normal position to block the cradle against rockingmovement from normal to operated position, said latching lever beingconstructed and arranged in such a manner that coins of the desireddiameter serve to rock said lever to unlatched position to thereby freesaid cradle for rocking movement to operated position while coins of adiameter other than that of the desired denomination are normally unableto effect suflicient rocking movement of the latching lever to free thecradle.

3. A coin separating device as claimed in claim 2 which includes meanscounterbalancing the cradle constantly to urge the cradle for return tonormal position, said counterbalancing means being insufficient tocounterbalance the cradle when a coin of the desired denomination comesto rest on the arms of the cradle.

4. A coin separating device as claimed in claim 2 which includes meansconstantly urging the latching lever towards latching positionautomatically to return the latching level to latching position inresponse to removal of the coin causing the displacement thereof.

5. A coin separating device as claimed in claim 2 which includes stopmeans positioned on the main frame to lie in the path of the latchinglever when in latching position thereby to define the latching position.

6. A coin separating device as claimed in claim 2 which includes a camedge on the part of the latching lever lying in the path ofthe cradlearm for enabling the cradle arm to cam said part from the path thereofduring return from operated to normal position and until said arm clearssaid part upon return to normal position.

7. A coin separating device as claimed in claim 2 in which the latchingmeans comprises a bell crank lever 10 counterbalanced at one end andhaving a lip at the other end adapted to underlie the trailing edgeportion of the cradle arm as defined during movement from normal tooperated position and positioned to extend in the area between saidcradle arms into the path of said arms during movement thereof betweennormal and operated position and into the path of coins coming to reston the cradle arms.

8. A coin separating device as claimed in claim 7 in which the lip liesalongside the inner surface of the cradle arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS686,074 Holzmann Nov. 5, 1901 1,193,967 Antoine et al. Aug. 8, 19162,371,310 Patzer Mar. 13, 1945 2,569,603 Gottfried Oct. 2, 1951

1. IN A COIN SEPARATING DEVICE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED, FRAME MEANSDEFINING AN ENTRANCE PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH COINS FALL EDGEWISE BYGRAVITATIONAL FORCE, A LATERALLY EXTENDING AND DOWNWARDLY INCLINEDRUNWAY OVER WHICH COINS OF A PREDETERMINED DENOMINATIONAL DIMENSION AREADAPTED TO BE DISPLACED FROM THE ENTRANCE PASSAGEWAY, CRADLE MEANSPIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME MEANS FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT BETWEENNORMAL AND OPERATED POSITIONS, SAID CRADLE MEANS HAVING A PAIR OF ARMSEXTENDING INTO THE ENTRANCE PASSAGEWAY AND SPACED ONE FROM THE OTHER BYAN AMOUNT SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF COINS ADAPTED TO BEDISPLACED FROM THE ENTRANCE PASSAGEWAY TO THE RUNWAY, A LATCHING LEVERPIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME MEANS FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT BETWEENLATCHING AND UNLATCHING POSITION WITH A PORTION OF SAID LEVER, WHEN INLATCHING POSITION, LYING IN THE PATH OF ONE OF SAID CRADLE ARMS WHEN THECRADLE IS IN NORMAL POSITION TO BLOCK THE CRADLE AGAINST ROCKINGMOVEMENT FROM NORMAL TO OPERATED POSITION, SAID LATCHING LEVER HAVING APART DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ARMS OF THE CRADLE IN POSITION TO BE ENGAGEDBY THE PERIPHERAL EDGE PORTION BETWEEN SAID ARMS OF COINS COMING TO RESTON SAID ARMS WHEREBY COINS OF THE CURVATURE OF THE DESIRED DIMENSIONOPERATE TO ROCK SAID LATCHING LEVER TO UNLATCHING POSITION AND FREE THECRADLE FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT TO OPERATED POSITION.